


keep the lights on (and watch me leave)

by PanicInTheBrain



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Funeral, I love you 3000, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PanicInTheBrain/pseuds/PanicInTheBrain
Summary: Tony was a great father, a great husband, but everybody knew him as iron-man. The superhero who saved the universe had a good life, which he sacrificed...
Relationships: Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	keep the lights on (and watch me leave)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a fic with emotional scenes that should exist in the avengers:endgame. If you're getting easily emotional Idk if this is for you... anyways, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Excuse my english btw. Don't judge my mistakes (I know you'll find a lot)

"Daddy will you tell me a story?" Morgan was sitting on her bed, unwilling to go to sleep.

"I just finished the sleeping beauty or whatever it's called and you want another one?" Tony, who was ready to leave the room, sat again on his armchair, near the bed.

"Yes daddy please!" She said with puppy eyes.

"Why? Why? I don't understand!" He attacked her by poking her in her tummy and she started giggling.

"Because I don't want you to leave yet." Her expression now went blank. 

"I'm not going anywhere! C'mon now go to sleep. You can enjoy my company tomorrow."

"Yes but... but... "

"Morgan. Go to sleep."

"No I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of... of... dark!"

"Yeah yeah sure-"

"No! Really! Please dad you have to understand!"

"Goodnight baby" he said, placing a kiss to her forehead. She grabbed his arm and whined, "don't go don't go don't go don't go"

Tony was already at the door when Morgan said the magical word:  
"Shit"

"What did you just say?" he turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"I said SHIT" Morgan repeated, emphasizing to the last word.

"SHIT!" Tony repeated, panicked "shit shit shit where did you hear this word?"

"Daddy you just said it like a thousand times!" she chuckled. 

"Oh shit! Don't.....ughhh......forget it! Forget this word! Can you??? Please for your perfect father who is a great model for his child."

"I can"

"THANK GOODNESS"

"Only if you stay with me and keep the light on all night."

"Hah THAT is not going to happen."

"Alright. I'm telling mum."

"What are you telling her?"

"SHIT"

"OH NOO NO NO NO OKAY YOU CONVINCED ME I'M STAYING PLEASE DON'T TELL MUM"

"Perfect." she said as Tony closed the door behind him.

"Are you the child of a demon or something? I really don't know."

"No dad. I'm your child!" Tony laughed heartily at his daughter's confusion.

"Alright, give me some space! You're taking over the whole bed!"

***^.^***

Tony is looking at the design of the "time machine" he just finished. He doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want to think about... what? Rejoining the Avengers? He knows they never were an actual thing. Getting involved with " superhero" jobs? Definitely not. He likes that shit. He likes the feeling of being the hero. He takes pride in his suit. He feels important. Does he though? The days he "enjoyed" it belonged to the past. Before half the population of the universe seized to exist. Before people who relied on him vanished. Before a child he loved as his own turned to dust in front of him. The days he was considered as a hero were over. They didn't even count as his life anymore. He thought of them like a second person, a stranger to his own self. His life now was perfect, even if his thoughts kept him awake the nights. He had Pepper and Morgan. He had a child! He had a beautiful daughter! Pepper needn't worry about him anymore because he didn't do anything risky. He refused to help the "Avengers" only to stay away from risk and keep his family safe. 

And now... Now what? He created exactly what the Avengers needed. He refuses to think about it. He refuses to leave Pepper. He refuses to leave Morgan. Oh god, how could he even tell Morgan he's leaving? Even if it was for a while. The risk is there wairting for him and he refuses to look at it. Morgan needs him. He has to stay with his daughter.

But what if.... no he can't think about that. The thoughts are floating in his mind and making him dizzy. What if the mission succeeds? What if they succeed in saving the universe? What if this time.......what if this is the one possibility of winning?

"Oh Tony... nightmares again?" Pepper comes down the stairs and finds him.... sobbing?  
"Tony are you crying?" her expression changes to full concern.

"Am I? I honestly don't know..." he tries to smile but not even a fake smile can save him now.

"What is this?" Pepper gestures to the 3D design on Tony's desk. "And why are you like that?" She now gestures to his face.

"Remember what Steve said when he came here weeks ago?"

"Very clearly, yes. What does it have to do with- Oh! Oh...."

"Yeah."

"Tony. Listen to me. Steve and the others need you. For once in my life, I say, please get into trouble!" Tony laughs, a fake snort.

"Okay that sounded really anti-Pepper." She continues "But I mean it. I don't want you to go Tony, you know I don't. But the universe needs you more than I do."

"They will find something else... they have Bruce. He'll find another way. I don't need to go." Tony stands up and takes Pepper's hand on his own.

"I don't think so Tony. I hate to admit it but... they don't stand a chance without you. I believe you're aware of that too. Otherwise why would you even design this thing?"

Tony looks at their joined palms. He loves Pepper. He doesn't want to lose this. He doesn't want to lose her. If he does join the Avengers once again, he might lose everything. That's the risk of being a hero.

"Now come to bed, please, and tomorrow you're calling Steve."

***^.^***

"Tell me a story daddy!" Morgan insisted.

"Hey I didn't agree to that term!"

"I know but PLEASE!!!!"

"Fine... Stop the puppy eyes though, I can't say no when you do that thing with your face!"

"That's why I'm doing it!" she giggled.

"Shhh don't give away your secrets. Now, let me see what we can read-"

"No I want YOU to tell me a story!"

"Me? What do you think I'm a storyteller?"

"Please dad!" she did the puppy eyes again.

"I told you to stop doing that!" He imitated her expression. "Alright I'll come up with a story now... emmmm okay so, A girl named-"

"You have to begin the story like this: once upon a time there was..."

"Right, do not interrupt me now. Storytelling is a serious business."

"Okay sorry"

"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Morgan-"

"Oh that's me!"

"No... it's not... it's just a girl named Morgan."

"Okay"

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Morgan-"

"But why do we have the same name? Is she like me?"

"Maybe. You must stop interrupting me!"

"Oh right sorry"

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Morgan. Got any questions?"

"No you're doing fine"

"Morgan was a great child! She was very smart and playfull and giggly-" Morgan giggled "but she had a big secret..."

"Did she?"

"Oh yes she did!"

"What kind of secret?"

"Her secret was that she wasn't afraid of darkness but she pretended to be to keep her dad with her all night."

"That sounds like a good reason to lie about that"

"It may be, but her father knows."

"Really?"

"Of course he does. Daddies understand when their kids lie to them."

"Oh... how?"

"I don't know... some people say that fathers are magical creatures."

"Dad I always thought you were a magician."

"I'm more like a wizard"

"Can you do magic?"

"Yes"

"I don't believe you"

"Watch this." He touched the top of her head with one hand and the the top of his head with the other and muttered: go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep.

"What are you doing?"

"Forcing you to go to sleep." She warned.

"I don't think it's working..."

"Then why are your eyelids so heavy?" He asked her when she was trying desperately to keep her eyes open.

"They're not. I did that on purpose! For you to think you can do magic."

"Okay sweetheart, sweet dreams!"

"Noooo stay here! You have to finish the story!"

"Alright I guess I'm not going to sleep tonight... so where were we? Oh yes! Her dad knew about her secret but he didn't care, because he loved his daughter so much that he could never leave her alone in the dark, even if she wasn't actually afraid of darkness."

"So he stayed with her?"

"Yes, he kept the light on and stayed with her."

"The end?"

"I don't think you have to put an ending to this story. Their life continues and things change so there is no "end"."

"But if the story doesn't end there did her dad leave her in the dark at some point in the futur?"

"No. Her dad never left her. Her dad kept the lights on and even if he left he remained with her forever"

"Forever is a lot of time"

"I know. Goodnight sweetie. I love you."

"I love you more"

"I love you tonnes"

"I love you 3, 000"

***^.^***

"Don't leave!" Morgan hugs him like her life depends on it and Tony holds his tears. He can't cry right now. He can't let his daughter see him crying before he leaves.

"Will you come back soon?"

"I... I don't know sweetheart."

"Can you promise me something?"

"What?" please don't say promise you'll come back please don't ask me that, his mind is repeating again and again.

"Promise me you will keep the lights on and stay with me. Forever."

"I promise."

"Good" she says and lets him go.

***^.^***

Morgan is sitting on Happy's lap, after her father's funeral, eating a cheeseburger Happy bought her. She wasn't crying. She didn't understand. Where did her father go? Why did he leave her? He promised... he promised... he promised...

"He promised." She says out loud.

"What did he promise?"

"He promised he'll stay here to keep the lights on"

Happy sighs. "He is here sweetie. He will always be here" he pats his chest, where his heart is. "He will stay here and keep the lights on, in your heart. Forever."

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! It's a big deal for me so yeah THANKS!!!!  
> you can find me on twitter: @PanicInTheBrain


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